U of L announces $10 million for matching scholarships

By Lethbridge Herald on October 12, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman University president Mike Mahon, along with board of governors chair Dean Gallimore, speaks during an announcement of a matching initiative Wednesday at the University of Lethbridge Science Commons atrium.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The University of Lethbridge Board of Governors is encouraging donors to support students through scholarships by pledging $10 million in matching funds. 

During a press event on Wednesday, president and vice chancellor of the University of Lethbridge, Mike Mahon, said they are very excited about the announcement and the $10 million will be used to match support from donors that is dedicated to scholarships for students.

“The scholarships will be broad based, there will be scholarships to support access, to support excellence, to support equity, diversity and inclusion and there will be scholarships that are broadly aligned with the values and aspirations of the University of Lethbridge,” said Mahon. 

He said they are very excited that the board worked hard to find the $10 million to use in this matching campaign and he believes it will attract donors.

By offering $10 million in matching contributions, the University is aiming to build a significant base of support that will unlock opportunities for future generations of students. It will allow the university to further attract, retain and reward diverse and promising students now and for generations to come.

Member of the Board of Governors, Terry Whitehead, said this is an extraordinary step from the university in their commitment to their students. 

“A commitment like this from the university is just a chance for us to show our dedication to our students, they are why we’re here. We think about them every day all day in terms of what we do as a board, as a faculty and as administration team, students are why we’re here,” said Whitehead. 

He said they hope this campaign will encourage donors, both alumni and those in the broader community, to make a gift because those gifts will be matched dollar for dollar and the impact is going to be long and far. He said it is going to benefit students today but also going forward in the future.

Donors will be showing interest, argued Mahon. 

“Our experience tells us that if donors see that their funds would be matched, they’ll be that much more enthusiastic,” said Mahon. 

He said the interests of the donors will be in part where the funds go, to support areas that they will support, but that are needed areas for students.

“A donor might be interested in a particular discipline like sociology or chemistry or history which will help to frame the area of scholarship focus, but the broader focus around access and inclusion is a really important piece for us and so I think we will balance the interests of the donors with the aspirations that we set out that are very much about accessing the University of Lethbridge,” said Mahon. 

For some, scholarships are the incentives and reward for hard work and dedication, community service or athletic excellence. For others, scholarships relieve the financial burden post-secondary education can place on themselves and their families, and in some cases, scholarship funds create access and make the dream of attending university possible.

“Our students are a microcosm of individuals living in a society that has gotten more and more expensive, so our commitment is to raise funds to help support individuals who might not be able to come to university were it not for scholarships,” said Mahon. 

The University of Lethbridge also announced Wednesday that a group of alumni and community leaders have been chosen to champion this new initiative and help build a plan for it moving forward. Former chancellor Janice Varzari, Terry Whitehead, Bernadine Boulet and Roland Labuhn have all been selected as outstanding ambassadors for the University.

Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter